Hello guys,
Recently I was quite busy and got no time to blog. Lucky for me, during this time, there’s only one new heart rate monitor – wristwatch that is worth to be reviewed. That’s the Pebble 2 Heart Rate. Anyone is considering buying one?
Ok, let’s review Pebble 2 Heart Rate to see if Pebble has taken it up to a new level and how Pebble 2 Heart Rate stacks up against other latest fitness tracker.

Pebble 2 Release Date

Pebble 2 Heart Rate was officially released this September, 2016.
You now can order it through Pebble website or Amazon.com

Review Pebble 2 Heart Rate vs Pebble Classic

Pebble Classic which was launched in Jan 2013 is now lagging behind tons of new wristwatch models in the market. Pebble fans had to wait for nearly 4 years to get an updated version. Here’s a quick rundown comparing Pebble 2 heart rate with Pebble classic:

Criteria

Pebble 2 Heart Rate

Pebble Classic

Comment

Release Date

September 2016

January 2013

Price (Nov, 2016)

$129.99

$66.99

Material

Polycarbonate plastic

Polycarbonate plastic

Color

Black, white, aqua, flame and lime

Black, red/black

More options of Color

Design

Standard three buttons on the right edge are sealed behind a single piece of resistant silicone, rather than by three individual hard buttons as before.

More advanced, making better use of space

Display

E-paper. 1.26-inch display with a 144 x 168 resolution. Just black and white

E-paper. 1.26-inch display with a 144 x 168 resolution. Just black and white

We can see that from design to functions, Pebble 2 Heart Rate and Pebble Classic do not differ much. Pebble 2 might be thinner and slimmer and has more colors to choose from. However, it revives the monochrome e-paper display and compared with Pebble Time, its design is not as attractive.
I can tell the biggest difference between these 2 Pebble versions is that Pebble 2 Heart Rate has been added Heart rate monitor. This should satisfy sports fan better. But this feature is quite standard compared with other current popular wristwatch in the market. So with $129, should you buy Pebble 2 or another wristwatch? Let’s move to the next section!

Those wristwatch are selected to compare with each other because they are in the same range of price, vary from $120-$180.

Release Date

Fitbit Charge 2 and Pebble 2 is the latest among those above. Both were launched in September 2016. Samsung Gear Fit 2 and Garmin vivosmart HR were released early this year, in May-Jun 2016.
Of course you would prefer to buy a latest models, right? Not only design is improved but also technology definitely is more advanced.

Price

Pebble 2 and Fitbit Charge HR are equally priced, at about $129. Samsung Gear Fit 2, Fitbit Charge 2 and Garmin Vivosmart HR are priced at $149, a little more expensive. Polar A360 is the most pricey in the list which is $180. The question is should you buy Pebble 2 or spend a little more money to aim for another one that might fit you better? The answer will be given below.

Material

Pebble is made of Polycarbonate plastic, while Fitbit’s are made of Rubber which is more elastic. Samsung Gear Fit 2 is made of Flexible Polymer. If you want a leather strap you should consider Fitbit Charge 2 since the strap is detachable and you can pay for a leather strap with extra $60.

Display

If you like an e-Paper screen then you can go with Pebble 2. But if you prefer a more colorful, dynamic screen then Samsung Gear Fit and Polar A360 will help cheer you up when wearing. The rest models use LCD and OLED screen. Pebble 2 has a quite bigger screen allowing you to read some data at the same time. Fitbit’s screen is quite small, especially the Fitbit Charge HR.

Functions

Samsung Gear Fit 2 has built-in GPS which is a plus, especially for runners. Pebble 2 & Garmin Vivosmart offer you the function to control your music. Hard to choose one if just based on functions!

Heart rate monitor of Pebble 2 is not just for workouts but measure your heart rate 24/7, taking a reading every 10 minutes (same like Apple Watch). Pebble 2 had a tendency to read 10 to 15 bpm higher than the strap when you are running, however it’s a problem of almost optical wristwatch.

A noticeable plus of Pebble 2 is apps. A lot of watch faces and applications for Pebble have been developed by the community that other tracker makers can’t compare with.
For more understanding of its function, you can watch this video review:

Water resistant

Except Fitbit’s is not safe for swimming, others are all ok for you to take along. Samsung Gear Fit 2 is water resistant just for 1.5m while others are up to 30-50m. However this might not be something serious.

Battery life

Pebble 2 can be used up to 7 days, quite long compared to others, just shorter than Polar A360 which is 2 weeks. Maybe this is the reason why Polar A360 is the most expensive of the list. Garmin, Fitbit can last for 5 days. Samsung Gear Fit 2 is the weakest in terms of Battery life, it is said to just last 2-3 days.

Conclusion

Ok, so what do you have in mind now? Pebble 2 might not be as amazing as expected, not so much different than the Pebble Classic. However at the price of $129, it seems to be competitive with other wristwatch and still a good choice, especially for those love simplicity.

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I’m Samuel PC. I created this blog to Review pros and cons of Fitness Trackers and Smart Watch compared with other devices in the same price range. It would help you choose one that perfectly fits you. Believe me, you don't have time to read details of every wearable in the world.
To support me maintaining this website, buying things (anything) in Amazon via my links would bring me some commission. Thanks a lot!